Drink

Saratoga, the sleepy little village nestled at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, is becoming a full-fledged wine-tasting destination with the opening of a new tasting room from two local boutique wineries — Ser Wines and Silvertip Vineyards.

The joint tasting room opened last weekend, joining a roster of winery tasting rooms that includes Cinnabar Winery, Big Basin Vineyards and M4 with Michael Martella and Michael Michaud wines. Also there: the Ruthe Roberts Winery Collective tasting room and three wine-tasting bars – Stilettos Wine Bar, Claudine’s Wine Experience and Uncorked! – all either along or near Big Basin Way.

This Saturday, the San Francisco brewpub Thirsty Bear, will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a massive block party.

I’ve known founder Ron Silberstein almost since he opened his brewpub, and he’s done amazing things with both food and the beer at Thirsty Bear. The block party sounds like it should be equally amazing. I sat down with Ron for a little chat and asked him some questions about his last twenty years owning a brewery in San Francisco, and what he thinks the future will hold. Below my interview, there is more information about the anniversary this coming Saturday, August 27, and how to get tickets.

Up until now, Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s “director’s cut” wines were easily spotted by the zoetrope filmstrips spiraling up the bottles. Now, you’ll want to look for a skyscraper-scaling giant gorilla … or a great white shark. The Geyserville winery just released a new cinematic-themed wine label – Director’s Great Movies – that pays homage to directors and films that Coppola admires.

Say hello to the just-released Jaws ($21), a 2015 chardonnay; King Kong ($24), a 2014 cab, and Wizard of Oz ($24), a 2014 merlot, all with fabulous movie poster labels designed by Laurent Durieux.

The wines, Coppola says, were inspired by the movies – although we’re not finding the tasting notes very helpful in explaining the inspiration. There’s no mention of “wet gorilla nose” among King Kong’s attributes, which include “serious blackberry flavor and warm cedar spice … (and) creamy toffee on the palate including black hibiscus tea.”

But the next time we watch the 1933 Fay Wray film, we’ll have an entirely new appreciation for the tannins.

The just-opened Buffalo Theory is a craft beer-focused restaurant and bar in the city’s Russian Hill area. Luym has created the New American menu, Kim has curated the local and global beer selection.

On the inaugural lineup are such innovations as Fava Fabada, braised iacopi, fava and gigante beans with longaniza sausage, pork and saffron; a Summer Tai Crudo of red snapper, garlic olive oil, ponzu, cucumber and onion flowers; and Beer-Braised Shortrib Shepherd’s Pie made with Japanese curry and Japanese yams.

The Clayton wildfire sweeping Lower Lake County has claimed several structures, including this house off Winchester Street (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)

The Clayton wildfire that swept through Lower Lake County on Sunday has demolished several structures, including homes and businesses, a Habitat for Humanity building where relief efforts for last year’s wildfire were being mounted, and Lower Lake’s Tuscan Village, home to Terrill Cellars Winery.

In a heartbreaking note posted on Facebook last night, Terrill Cellars’ owners reported that everyone was safe, but that the Tuscan Village is gone and they won’t know what, if anything, remains of the winery until the smoke clears and they’re allowed to return.

This part of Lake County is home to several wineries, in addition to Terrill. As of 9 a.m. today, Six Sigma Winery was safe and had posted an update on its Facebook page saying, “Ranch is safe, and animals are happy. CalFIRE stopped the flames along the north side of our front valley.”

The Eat Drink SF celebration of food and libations will take over San Francisco’s Fort Mason and other venues from Aug. 25-28, with chefs from scores of restaurants — from Aatxe to Zero Zero — participating.

At the opening event, a Taco Knockdown at the Folsom Street Foundry, chefs from Trick Dog and Dosa will defend their 2015 titles.

Between bites and sips, you can attend an array of fun, informative seminars on wine (“50 Shades of Gris,” “Que Syrah Syrah”) and other libations (the history of gin and tonics, how to pair Italian food with beer).

Get all the details on tickets and participants at http://eatdrink-sf.com. The event is sponsored by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

The Calicraft taproom features wooden staves from wine and whiskey barrels and a pressed-tin bar.

At the age when most kids are dreaming of becoming a firefighter or pilot, Blaine Landberg decided he wanted to brew beer. Back then, he says, he was captivated by the cool labels on bottles his uncle brought over at Christmas.

Fast-forward to 2012, when Landberg opened his Calicraft Brewing Co. in Walnut Creek — after years of experimenting with brewing “Buzzerkeley” beverages at Cal and working to tout another brew, the Honest Tea brand.

Four years later, he’s opening his first taproom on Friday, July 29, in the city’s growing Shadelands district. Besides the 2,000-square-foot taproom, there’s an outdoor beer garden and — talk about farm-to-stein — a sustainable hop field!

Look for a dozen Calicraft beers on tap, including that years-in-the-planning
Buzzerkeley, a sparking ale; Chez Panisse, a farmhouse ale (naturally); Cali Coast, a Kolsch; Double Dub, a double IPA; and Oak Town, a brown ale.